The Secret Bounts
by Annadrujok
Summary: Not all bounts are human. it is time for the silly soul reapers to learn that. What happens when two cats are bounts? What kind of secrets do they posess? rated t for mild language. Slight reference to other animee.
1. Prologue

The Secret Bounts

Prologue

-nobody's POV-

A sparrow watched with interest as two cats were fighting. It was storming, so it had decided to take shelter in a tree. There were a lot of catfights in this part of the Rukon District, but this one seemed …different, somehow. One cat, a male, was white with black stripes and a skull-and–crossbones shaped spot on his forehead, blue eyes, and a odd black symbol on his right shoulder. The other cat, a female, had the same symbol on her left shoulder. She had a golden-colored pelt with white `socks' on each paw, a black tipped tail, and green-no, emerald- eyes that were almost snake-like. If not for their size, the two would have looked almost like a white tiger and lioness fighting! That is, if it weren't for the she-cat's `water claws' (water molded around the front paws to make deadly extended claws…think shadow claw, only with water.) and the male cat's shadow extending, and then connecting, with the she-cat's shadow, immediately dragging her down to the male's position, unable to move without mimicking his every move ( think shadow-possession jutsu). The male began to move backward at a rapd pace, and then smirking as he heard a loud "thud "as the she-cat's body hit the wall behind her and she fell, limp. The male approached cautiously, releasing her shadow. She smiled. "_Big mistake"_ she thought as she waited for him to draw ever closer to his doom. "_close enough"_ she thought, as she whispered quietly, "Zeige Dich, Mizu". She watched as her watery doll rose from the ground, effectively ensnaring her opponent, rendering him unable to move. She stood up. " your doll was strong, but mine was stronger. Water is the destroyer of the shadows."

"Really!" he asked skeptically." I thought that was light! It's nice to know that my opponent was well educated! I never knew water could harm an object that doesn't even have a physical form!" he smirked. The she cat grinned.

"I find you a worthy-and humorous- opponent. My name is Taiyō. What, pray tell, is yours?" she asked.

"Doku. It is nice to know that I am not the only feline bount in existence. I hope to make your acquaintance, milady" he said, going into an exaggerated bow.

"Huh, you're funny! I think we'll make good friends." She said, leaping to a rooftop. "See you around, Doku!" she said cheerily, walking away. "Hm, Doku huh?" she mused, rolling the name around her toungue. She liked the way it sounded. Kind of ironic, though. A cat that controls shadows had a name literally meaning poison! Then again, her name meant sunburst, so who is she to critique? Either way, she would have to remember his name if she ever saw him again. Oh, joy. Another boring task. Oh, well. And now to try and either a. enter the seireitei, b. find Ran Tao, that stupid soul reaper who created the bounts, or c. be lazy and not do anything untill something exciting, like ryoka, happened. Eh, she was too lazy for a or b, so she chose c. More time to train with her doll, Mizu. Which reminded her, what was the other bount's doll called? He had muttered it, so she couldn't really tell what he was saying. Oh, well. It wasn't like she would see him anytime soon, so what did it matter? But it still would've been nice to know.

Doku watched his new 'acquaintance', not quite friend yet, walk away. He knew he would probally never see her again. " So now I go back to being lonely, huh Kage" he asked his doll, who had made itself into a cat-like shape. It nodded. Kage did not like to talk much, and normally kept to himself. Not at all close to his master's personality, which was joking and sarcastic. Doku turned back to where Taiyō had disappeared into the horizon. He had just met her, so why did he feel a pang of lonliness, regret, and sorrow? No, he must be imagining things. He quickly shook off the feeling and stalked off in the opposite direction. Time to terrorize some poor, helpless souls and start feeding. He was very hungry. His last soul had been three days ago. Well, human soul. He didn't think that rats counted.


	2. Chapter 1  3 Months Later

Ch. 1: 3 Months Later

- Taiyō's POV-

I heard a strange whistling noise and looked up from the vole I had been eating. I saw several blue streaks flying through the sky. _Could it be…more ryoka?_ I thought. Just last month there had been a ryoka invasion. Apparently a substitute soul reaper named Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends, including a quincy, which had surprised me (weren't quincies supposed to hate soul reapers? What was that about?) , had come to save a soul reaper named Rukia Kuchki from her execution at Sōkyoku Hill. During that, they had destroyed the Sōkyoku. They had also brought with them a perverted (in my opinon) soul reaper named Yoruichi Shihōn, who could turn into a black cat. Oh, how I loathed her. Not only did she insult cats everywhere by being human, but she was a _soul reaper_. I **hate** soul reapers. I mean, being a bount, I naturally hate them. But it goes far deeper than that. No, my hate was a personal problem.

*flashback*

"Happy fifth birthday!" My siblings and I looked up to see our parents standing next to a large pile of toys and food. We gasped in excitement. "For us?" my sister, Kawaii, asked. She was a plain white cat with beautiful ruby eyes. She was true to her name and quite cute. She was the smart one. My brother, Apollo, had silvery fur with patches of gold. He bore the same golden eyes as our father. He was very violent, and he swore a lot. My sister and I had even had a bet going that he wouldn't go for one day without swearing. Me, being quite ditsy in nature, said that he could. After all, a birthday is a special occasion, was it not? My siblings bore the same strange mark as me-my sister's on her paw pad, my brother's on his back. I had always wondered what the mark meant, but I decided to let it go for the day.

" Thank you so much! I've never seen so much food!" Apollo exclaimed. He didn't swear. Kawaii scowled. I grinned. Even our parents looked taken aback, but then smiled. My siblings and I started eating, and I looked up. Our parents, a white angora and an abyssinian, were watching us eat. They looked hungry. I felt guilty and picked up an oddly fat rabbit. It must've once been someone's pet. I took the rabbit to my parents and placed it before them. "Mom, Dad, are you hungry? I want to give this to you." I said sweetly. My parents smiled.

"Thank you, Taiyō. You are very kind." My mom smiled warmly before eating.

"You're welcome!" I trotted back to my siblings, my conscience clear. Little did we know we were being watched.

"So they can talk huh? And two of them have the Jokai Crest. Time to fulfill my mission. Destroy any Jokai Crests you see. Alright, slash and burn, Yasei Dōbutsu!"

Suddenly, my dad jerked his head up, his once golden eyes now black and emotionless. A human stepped out of the shadows. My mother gasped. "A soul reaper! Run, children! Save yourselves! Don't let him get-" Her warning cut short as our father brutally killed her in one strike. Her bloody and mangled corpse lay on the ground before us. My siblings and I were terrified. Kawaii broke down and began crying.

"W-why, Daddy?" she sobbed, her vision blurred with tears. Our father stepped toward her menacingly.

The soul reaper spoke. "My Zanpakutō has the ability to control animals. Your father is no more. He is a slave to do my bidding now." The soul reaper smirked darkly. Our father knocked Kawaii down and stepped on her neck. He pressed down harder and harder with his claws unseathed. "W-why…?" Kawaii asked weakly before dying. My brother stepped up. "You damn bastard! What have you done to our fucking das? ANSWER ME!" S_o much for the bet_…I thought. I could see the rage emnating from him. The earth started to crack. I stepped back fearfully. "Meet my doll, Chikyū." Apollo said darkly. Pieces of earth and stone started merging to make a stone cat golem. It lunged towards our father. I couldn't understand it. He may be being controlled, but he was still our father! It's not right to attack your own father! Our father jumped out of the way and the doll smashed into the wall. I saw the soul reaper use his sword to slash through the doll's face, effectively destroying it. My brother screamed in agony. "No! Chikyū! Y-you damn monster…" Apollo looked at the soul reaper before collapsing, dead. A bount dies if it's doll dies in battle. I hadn't known that at the time. All I knew was that we were different from the other cats. I ran to my brother. "A-apollo, wake up! Wake up! Please, wake up!" I cried, shaking him, tears running down my face. I gave up when I realized that he was dead. "And now for you" the soul reaper said. I looked around. "Huh? Who else is here?" I asked, not seeing anyone else around except my father. I finally understood that he meant me. I trembled in fear. My father stepped forward and swatted me with his paw, claws unsheathed, hard. I went flying into the brick wall. I lay there limply, half-dead. I opened one eye weakly. I saw the soul reaper grin. "You have served your purpose, cat" he said to my father, releasing his hold on him. My father blinked once confusedly, before taking in the scene around him. "W-who did this?" he asked, enraged. "Don't you remember? _You did this."_ replied the soul reaper, using his sword to stab my father through the heart. At that moment, I felt an immense power flooding through my body. That, and rage. My injuries suddenly healed, I stood up darkly, a torrent of water swirling around me. It lashed and cascaded with immense power, seemingly furious. "You used my father to kill my family,that itself is unforgivable. But then you killed him too, THAT I can NEVER forgive." I growled as torrents of water rushed to the soul reaper, lashing out at him. "I don't know what this strange power is. I don't even know who-or _what_ I am anymore. I may be no more than a freak, but I know one thing for certain. You will die here, today, by my paw." The look of sheer terror just fueled my lust for blood even more. I first enveloped him in water, then formed the water into claws and slashed through the water cage to his heart. He gasped, spitting out blood, before he went limp. I instinctively walked towards him and bit his neck, sucking out his soul. It was then that I realized something. "I am a bount, an avenger, and this is my doll, Mizu" I proclaimed, my head raised proudly. I did not notice my brother crack open an eye. *end of flashback* It was amazing how even after a couple hundred years, I still haven't forgiven the soul reapers and probably never will. Turning my attention back to the blue streaks rapidly crossing the sky and entering the seireitei, I felt something…familiar about the spiritual pressures. I had faintly felt them before, in the world of the living, every once in a while. Could they be…no, it's not possible…but maybe…they were…bounts?" I almost jumped up with joy. I then proceeded to laugh at myself. I'm a coldhearted killer, and yet I keep the personality disguise of a naïve, ditsy, kitten, only showing my true personality in serious battles. Then I felt a familiar spiritual pressure from three months ago. "Doku?"


	3. Chapter 2  Doku's Past

Ch. 2 – Doku's Past

-Doku's POV-

"Doku?" I froze, hearing my name. Nobody knew my name! I paused, thinking back. Then I gasped.

"Taiyō?" I asked, astonished. I thought I would never see her again! I felt…happy that she was here! I wonder what this feeling in the pit of my heart is? I've never felt it before. I felt similar near my parents and sister, but never anyone outside them, and besides, this feeling is slightly different… I ran to greet her. "Hey! I haven't seen you in ages! How're you doing?"

"Well, it's only been three months, but yeah, I'm good. Hey, guess what! I think the human bounts are here!" I gasped. That's what the spiritual pressure was! I felt like I knew some of them from before…and was that Kariya's spiritual pressure! If it was, then how did they get here? They can't unless they got a Quincy to help! A Quincy! But I thought there was only one left, the one from last one! But Quincys hate bounts! Why would he help? Damn those Quincys. They had slowly been ruining his life. First the bount slaughter, back when the bounts had just started appearing. Then, the great battle, a few hundred years ago…

*flashback*

I watched from the shadows with my younger sister, Koneko. A man named Jin Kariya, or so I had heard, was arguing with the other bounts. The bounts were trying to return to the soul society, to live a better life. I had heard about this, and thought it to be a good idea. My sister and I had wanted to go along, so we had been spying on and following the human bounts so that we could go too. My sister had not awakened her doll yet, and I was beginning to wonder if she was even a bount. Either way, I took it upon myself to protect her with my life. Ever since our parents had died a few years ago, I, being her older brother, had felt obliged to protect her. I was astonished as I listened to the conversation. Why didn't this Kariya person want to return to the soul society? Surely it would be safer than here. Our parents had been slaughtered along with many human bounts and my other siblings, when the soul reapers attacked the bount hideout, where the human bounts had been constructing a village. That Ran'Tao lady had deceived us. She had said that the soul reapers would protect us. But that was the past. Surely the soul reapers would accept us by now!

"If we go back, the only thing that would await us will be subservience or death! We can't go back!" the Kariya man yelled. I was surprised I could understand him. My sister was scared.

"What's the scary man yelling about, Doku?" she asked.

"He's saying that we can't go back, but don't worry, Koneko, we'll go back and start a new life, one with no fear of death." I said, my eyes locked on the argument. We sat there, listening (with me making a few translations every now and then) for a few hours, before the leadership decided to gain access to the soul society by means of the Quincys' power. I thought it was a marvelous idea! After all, reishi arrows can't hurt a bount, now can they? (Insert smug look here)They would be sure to cooperate! Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong. The next day, the human bounts set out to find the Quincys. They finally found them waiting in a forest. First, the bounts tried reasoning with the Quincys. The Quincys refused, and soon a full out battle ensued, and my sister and I got caught in the crossfire. Many bounts died that day as a result of the stuck up, self centered Quincys and some soul reapers (who had come as backup) killing their dolls in battle. I came out almost unscathed, apart from some minor scratches and bruises (explosions can really hurt a cat, you know!), but my sister had been pierced in the leg by a Quincy arrow and didn't seem to be able to move. As the soul reapers were leaving after the battle, I grabbed my sister by the scruff of the neck, and ran through the senkaimon before it closed. We had a rather rough landing, but judging by how much pure reishi was in the air, I could tell we were in the soul society.

"lay down over here, I'll find us some food." I said, setting my sister down gently. She nodded. My whole plan counted on the soul society having mice and/or rats. I saw something move in the shadows. A rat! It was my lucky day. Looks like we would survive after all.

*End of flashback*

I had taken care of her ever since, and then, while finding food for her three months ago, I had met Taiyō. We had been fighting for a very fat rat, about the size of a small dog. I had killed it, and then that Abyssinian mix had sauntered in and tried to steal it! That's when I met Taiyō. Fighting for my precious sister's survival. Turns out, however, that all of my efforts had been for nothing. You see, a month ago…

*flashback*

Ryoka had invaded the seireitei! I had told Koneko there was a Quincy with them (I had seen him), and she immediately wanted to fight him. We finally found him with an orange-haired girl with odd blue flower-shaped hairclips. He seemed to be protecting her from a soul reaper. I was surprised. A Quincy was capable of love? Incredible! I smirked. After the soul reaper finishes him off (he's only a boy, after all. Can't be too strong), I could go and rip the young couple(or so I thought) apart. Let him feel the pain that his kind had made us feel. Before I knew what was happening, I heard an explosion in my sister's general direction.

"Koneko!" I yelled, running over. A dead soul reaper lay on top of my already weak sister. The explosion, caused by a Quincy arrow, had surely injured, if not killed her. I tried to move the soul reaper. God, he was heavy! What was he, a giant? Well, probably. Even by human standards, he was huge.

"Aw, Uryū! Look! There's a kitty trying to move Jirōbō!*gasp* Uryū! There's another cat underneath Jirōbō! Uryū! You have to help the cat!" I heard the girl exclaim to the Quncy. What! There was no way I was letting a _Quincy _anywhere near my sister! If she wasn't already dead, he would kill her just like his kind did to the rest of my family! I hissed at him, warning him to stay back. He wasn't going anywhere near Koneko.

"Orihime, Let's go. It obviously doesn't want our help. Besides, I don't trust it. Did you see the symbol on it's shoulder? It looks too detailed to just be a stripe or spot. It seems like I should know that symbol from somewhere…" Good, he'd better leave. I could move the giant by myself. The girl walked towards me. She didn't appear to be a Quincy. Could I trust her?

"Don't worry, Kitty. I just want to help." I stepped aside uneasily, my eyes never leaving her, studying her every move. She moved the giant off my sister. Wow, she was strong. She then bent down to check my sister's heartbeat. I anxiously awaited her analysis. "I'm sorry, Kitty. I can't do any more. She's dead." I gasped. I ran over to make sure the girl wasn't lying. She really was dead. This was all the Quincy's fault. By the time I turned around, the Quincy, Uryū, and the girl, Orihime, were gone.

*end of flashback*

The Quincys had ruined my life, taken everything away that was ever precious to me. And now that Quincy had the nerve to come back! I vow to kill him this time. This means war. And the bounts shall emerge victorious.


	4. Chapter 3 The Encounter

**A/N: I would like to thank Reap777 for being my only reviewer for this story and for all his help. I finally figured out how to post author's notes, so yay! Also, for anyone reading this, I flet like you guys needed a reward for being patient with me while i'm overcoming my writer's block. It's short, i know, but i promise, there WILL be more. Anyways, this felt like a good place to drop off. Any help with filling in holes for the storyline and/or fanart will be greatly apprecieated! thanks!**

Ch. 3 – The Encounter

-Taiyō's POV-

"Do you know if the Quincy came?" asked Doku.

"Huh? What Quincy? Why would a Quincy be here?" I asked, confused. I thought we were talking about the human Bounts! Huh. I guess I'll just go along with it.

"The ryoka Quincy from last time! The Bounts need a Quincy to get into the Soul Society. Didn't you know that?" explained Doku.

"Oh, okay" I said, suddenly feeling very stupid. How could I, of all cats, not know that? And so, I started sulking.

"Huh, Taiyō? What's wrong? Is something wrong?" Well, what do you know, the poison knows compassion! Almost like my brother, Apollo…Oh Apollo, how I miss you…why did you have to die? *sigh*. Sometimes I can almost smell your scent, hear your rather…um, well…_colorful_…language, and just see you, grown up, attacking Doku for being near me, and…wait. Attacking Doku! I shook my head to clear my mind. When I opened my eyes and the world stopped spinning, all I could see was Doku standing there with a concerned look on his face, just like he was moments ago. What happened? Why would I imagine something like that? Well, Apollo always _was_ a social outcast…maybe that's why? Maybe if he was alive still,(curse you, Soul Reaper!) he wouldn't want me to talk to another cat other than him or Kawaii? I don't know. I let the thought go. My mind must be overworking itself. "I'm fine, Doku. My mind was playing tricks on me." I sighed. Doku looked at me strangely before walking off.

"Follow me. I want to show you something." I followed him, completely unaware of the various wounds all over his pelt and the golden eyes watching us from the shadows.


End file.
